Mathematical challenges...

With the Ladies 3's securing East Divison 2 last weekend, the Mighty Watsonians Ladies 4's were determined to clinch 2nd place but with Eskvale and Fidra hot on our tails only a win would do (after double checking the maths...) The butterflies were in full flow as we piled into the cars and headed to sunny Dalkeith to take on Eskvales 1's.

With Captain Becca away, Julia stepped up to give a rousing team talk and answer 47 questions around the fact that yes we did just need to win to secure second (whilst we double checked the maths. Again...) A quick start saw us move the ball into the Vale half but a bit of nerves and a strong defence blocked any attack on goal. Our first short came to nothing but the second was duly smashed past the keeper by Suze to get us on the score sheet. The nerves were still high and Vale worked hard to get the ball into their half but the 'Sonians defense (De-Fense! De-Fense!) did a sterling job of shutting it down. Catie flew into a tackle so hard that she lost her shoe, or it might have just fallen off, no one really knows and Tammy was laughing so hard we never really found out.

With a brace of crunching stick tackles the Umpire had had enough and declared next stick tackle would result in a green card. Literally 10 seconds later Julia, taking her Captain duties seriously, decided to test the extent of his commitment and was duly green carded. Cue much Lol-ing from the rest of the the team, supportive as ever!

Cat decided she'd had enough of us clowning around and it was time to get back to the hockey, this resulted in what can only be described as a spectacular solo run to the top of the D and a stunning reverse stick lift that rocketed past everyone and thundered into the net. Coach Pippa would have cried with pride after months of drilling this at training!

Eskvale picked up the pace and Keeper Katie was called in to action with a couple of sprawling saves. The Vale shorts came to nothing and Watsonians were back up the pitch into their own D where another short saw, in the absence of Jenny, a pretty darn good execution of the Killer K with that girl Cat pouncing on the ball at the post to slip it past the Vale keeper to put us 3-0 up at half time.

We knew what we had to do in the second half but the long season was kicking in and tiredness was taking it's toll, thankfully there were jelly babies and haribo to help recharge us. Keeping the energy going, both sides had some good chances at goal and 'sonians we're finally rewarded with some silky smooth passing from Holly into the D for Julia to slot it into the goal to make it 4-0 (or scrappy and hectic as it was also described...). The crowd went wild, Mexican waves round the pitch, or at least from our 3 parent supporters...

However it wasn't over yet, Eskvale threw the kitchen sink at us in the final few minutes and got a short just as the full time whistle went. Facing a wall of yellow and green round the D we were determined to keep a clean sheet, Suze firing us up with some words of wisdom. The ball came out, the ball was cleared, we had don...oh wait ANOTHER short called due to Aoife getting over excited and breaking the half way line early... Pulling on every last reserve of energy we set ourselves up in the goal, Tammy sprinted out like a woman possessed, the ball came in, it went across, it came back, Vale were on the back post but so was Ellie and Keeper Katie , the ball went out, the whistle went and we had (finally)done it!!

We checked the maths, again, and yes we had now got enough points to finish in second place regardless of the result of our last game of the season! So we head to Fidra next Saturday to finish the season but for now the war is won.

Thanks to Eskvale for supplying both umpires.